Collapsible package carrier



March 16, 1943. L, E. MATTOON COLLAPSIBLE PACKAGE CARRIER Filed March2,.1942 2 Sheets- Sheet 1 INVENTOR. \MATTOON ATTORNEY.

E M U 4 March 16, 1943. L. E. MATTOON v COLLAPSIBLE PACKAGE CARRIERFiled March 2, 1942 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIE-5.

IN VEN TOR.

1402A 'E. Mar-7'00 Patented Mar. 16, '1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y2,313,884 I p l l f ooLLArsmLaPAoxAGE CARRIER. Laura E. Mattoon, SanFrancisco, Calif. Application March 2, 1942, Serial No. 432,935 0m ns.(o1. 280-51) This invention relates to improvements in package carriers,and more particularlyto a collapsible wheeled carrier which may bereadily collapsed into a compact formwhen it is to be carried by hand,and which maybe extended into an elongated wheeled container when it isto be moved from ping tour.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved packagecarrierhaving a construction capable of being carried as a. handbag when placeto place during a shop empty or when partially filled, and which may beextended and wheeled along the ground when filled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a package carrier of thekind characterized,consisting of a collapsible frame having a foldablebag mounted thereon.

While I show and describe a package carrier considered to be apreferredembodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that changesas to form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be madewithin the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is .a perspective view of my improved package carrier, showing aside partially open and also showing the same fully extended and in aform whereby it may be wheeled about; t Fig. 2 is another perspectiveview of the package carrier, showing the same collapsed and in a compactform whereby it may be carried as a handba Fig. 3 is a sectional viewtaken vertically throug the carrier when in. the form shown inFig.2;Fig.4 is a perspective view of the collapsible framein an extended orunfolded form, showing by the dotted lines the relative positions .of.the

various parts when they are moved to partially I collapsed positions;and

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section taken ver-. tically through the carrierwhen in a fully extended or unfolded form.

Referring to the drawings, the numeralI designates a lower U-shapedframe member having a plurality of casters 2 depending therefrom. Theupwardly disposed legs of the U-shaped frame member are pivotallymounted on a trans- U-shaped elements 6 are over the upwardly disposedends of the U-shaped frame member I when the said side members and theupwardly disposed legs of the U-shaped frame member are in alignment.When the sleeves are in positions whereby they extend around the lowerends of the side frame members 4 and the upper ends of the upwardllydisposed legs of the U-shaped frame member I, the said frame members areheld in rigid positions with respect to each other, and when sopositioned the lower part of the frame is prevented from, pivotallymoving about the rod 3. l

Pivotally attached to the upper ends of the side frame members 4 are twoU-shaped elements 6, both of which are capable of being moved topositions where they extend upwardly in oppositely inclined directions,as shown by the full lines in Fig. 4, or they may be moved to downwardgydisposed positions with their transverse cen ral 'parts extendingoutside the U- shaped member I and in adjacent and parallel relation tothe corresponding part thereof as shown by the broken lines inthe samefigure.

Pivotally mounted on the' side frame members lnear their. upper ends, asby means of thumb screws 1, are two keepers 8, which when in upwardlyextended positions as shown by the full lines in Figs. 4 and 5, serve tosupport the U- shaped elements 6 in upwardly disposed inclinedpositions. The keepers may be moved to positions alongside theirassociated side frame membersas shown by the broken lines in Fig. 4 whenthe frame and its bag are to befolded into a compact form. The thumbscrews 'I serve to maintain the keepers 8 in either of thetwo positionswith respect to the side frame members 4. The preferably made from heavysemi-rigid flexible steel wire, and being capable of bending slightly,the keepers 8 may be readily brought into engaging or non-engagingpositions with respect thereto. Pivotally mounted at their ends on thetransverse rod 3 are two U-shaped wires 9 which have a fabric piece lllsecured thereto. The fabric piece I0 forms a bottom support for as willbe later described.

Supported on the frame is a foldable bag It versely disposed rod 3. Alsopivotally mounted on I the rod3 are two side frame members 4 which I arepreferably of the samewidth as the U-shaped frame member I. Sleeves 5slidably carried by the side frame members I are adapted to extendsuitable openings for the side legs of the U- shaped member I to extendthrough. The fabric piece I II is adapted to extend interiorly acrossthe lower end of the bag, and snap fasteners I2 serve to secure theopposite ends of the said fabric piece to the oppositesides of the bag,as "shown in Fig. 5. The fabric piece when attached the inside of thebag,

to the sides of the bag provides an inner bottom support for supportingthe packages dropped into the bag, thereby providing means whereby theweight of the packages or articles carried may be supported on the framerather than on the bottom of the bag proper.

The opposite sides of the bag ll near its upper area is slit and itsupper end is looped and is secured to the transverse parts of theU-shaped elements 6. Secured to the upper end of the bag at points whereit is 1ooped and is secured to the U-shaped elements 6, are two handles13 which are preferably made from the same material from which the bagis constructed.

Secured to the upper end of the bag at points where the U-shapedelements extend through the looped parts are two depending panels Mwhich are made preferably from the material from which the bag proper ismade. These panelsareiprovided at their side edges and at theirlowerends with hookless fastening means I5 by means of which they may beattached together. When the bag is in an unfolded position as shown inFig. 5, the lower fastening means I5 is detached, thereby leaving anopening at the lower ends of the panels I4 through which packagesinserted into the bag may drop onto the bottom piece Hi.

When the bag is thus unfolded the frame and the bag are in extendedpositions and the U- shaped elements 6 are separated at their upperends, thereby providing means for maintaining the bag in a position withits upper end open. The device may be wheeled about by suitably pullingon one of the handles l3.

When it is desired that the device be collapsed so it may be carried asa handbag, the sleeves 5 are first slid upwardly to permit the U-shapedmember I to be swung over to a position where the casters 2 and thecentral part thereof are in engagement with a side of the bag. Thekeepers 8 are then disengaged from the U-shaped elements 6, and afterthe unfastening of the hookless fasteners I5 at the sides of the panels[4, the said elements are swung outwardly in opposite directions andthen toward each other to positions where their central parts are inclose proximity to one another. When so positioned the handles l3 may beboth grasped by a persons hand. The-side and bottom fastening means [5are thereupon fastened together, thus forming a shortened handbag havinga top opening at points between the handles.

It will be seen that my improved package carrier is capable of holdingand conveniently transporting a number of packages or articles ofmerchandise which might otherwise be too heavy to comfortably carry byhand.

Having described my invention, what I claim 1. A package carriercomprising a collapsible frame having side members and a U-shaped lowerpart pivoted to the side members, rotatable wheels carried by theU-shaped part of the frame, a bag supported by the frame having innerdepending panels which are adapted to be positioned outside the bag whenthe U-shaped part of the frame is in a collapsed position with respectto the side members, and means for fastening the panels together afterthey are positioned outside the bag, and handle means secured to theupper end of the bag.

2. In a package carrier, a frame formed with side members and adepending pivoted bottom member adapted to be swung from an extendednormal position to a collapsed position with respect to the said sidemembers, roller means carried by the bottom member a foldable bagextending over and supported by the frame, having means in its bottomfor the outward projection of that part of the bottom member of theframe which carries the roller means, a pair of spaced rigid memberspivoted to the upper ends of the side members of the frame, the saidrigid members being secured to the upper end of the bag and so arrangedwhen in certain positions to normally hold the upper end of the bag inan open position, extensions on the upper end of the bag for extendingaround the bag and frame when they are in a collapsed form, and meansfor attaching the extensions together at their sides and at their freeends, and handle means on the bag.

3. In a package carrier, a frame formed with foldable parts adapted tobe collapsed into folded positions or to be unfolded and arranged inextended positions, means for maintaining the parts in relative rigidpositions when they are extended, roller means on the frame for engagingwith a floor or supporting surface, a collapsible bag extending over andsupported by the frame, means carried on the frame for normally holdingthe upper end of the bag in an open position, and flexible extensions onthe upper endof the bag, the said extensions being arranged to bepositioned inside the bag when the frame and bag are unfolded and whenthe bag and frame are'folded to be positioned outside and around thesaid bag and frame.

4. In a package carrier, a frame formed with pivoted attached partsadapted to be collapsed into folded positions or to be unfolded and arranged in extended positions, means for maintaining the frame parts insubstantially rigid positions with respect to each other when they areextended, roller means carried by the frame, a collapsible bag supportedon the frame having its lower end closed and its upper end open,extensions on the upper end of the bag having means for fastening theirsides and free ends together, the said extensions being normallypositioned inside the bag when it and the frame are in unfoldedpositions, and the said extensions beingarranged so they may bepositioned outside the folded bag and the folded frame whereby acarrying device of reduced size may be provided when the bag and frameare in folded positions, and handle means connected to the bag.

LAURA E. MATTOON.

